Crystal Clear

Chapter 2 continued

Amanda and I had been to the same high school but we'd never really bonded. For one thing, she was a blonde skinny perfect little bundle of pure evil, while I was 'that chubby ugly kid with the carrot hair. Once we both went off to college, she to Harvard Business school and me to UCLA to major in English Literature. In my sophomore year, I met Ryan at a friend's party. I had just tripped over some wires and was face down on the floor, cringing at the howls that accompanied my total humiliation when I felt someone touch my shoulder.

'Are you ok?' the owner of the hand asked and I lifted my tear-streaked face. I saw a dark haired guy with kind hazel eyes looking at me.

'No, i'm not, I'm flat on my face in front of a million people laughing their heads off.' I sniffed.

'Not a million people, just a couple of very drunk idiots who won't remember a thing tomorrow.' he replied smiling. His eyes shone with good humour. 'however you might want to get up before someone trips over you.'

I couldn't help smiling back. I put my hand in his outstretched hand and let him pull me up.

'thanks' I said softly. Around us people nodded or hopped in time to the music that throbbed around, the episode of a few minutes ago already forgotten- just like the stranger standing before me had promised. 'I'm Callie' I said shaking his hand.

'Ryan, and its my pleasure to meet you Callie'. He had a nice pleasant smile. 'how about we leave here and go get a proper drink rather than the warm piss they have here?'

I giggled and gave him the once over. Not drop dead gorgeous in that pretty boyband poofy kind of way, but he had that chiselled, sensitive look that cries out, ' I may have been staring at a computer screen for fifteen hours, but I know how to have fun'. He had long eyelashes that cast long shadows on his high cheekbones and a high forehead. His voice was quiet and soft, with a trace of a Boston accent and the fingers that held mine were nicely shaped and slender. I noticed he was wearing a white baseball T- shirt, light blue stone- washed Levi's, and white sneakers.

'that would be lovely' I said in my most uptown accent, which came out sounding like I had a bad cold.

We went to a trendy little bar that sold those cute teeny bottles of Moêt & Chandon, and Ryan ordered me a beer and a bag of crisps while he had a quarter bottle of champagne. I teased him on his inability to get wasted on such a tiny bottle, so he relented and ordered himself a beer, then another and another.

Eighteen astonishing hours later, damp, grubby and starving, lying in an unfamiliar college dorm with a boy I'd just met, I wondered what the hell?

Ryan and I dated for two months before we finally admitted that we were not good lovers, just better friends, so we became buddies, checking out our respective dates and comforting each other through heartbreaks, always being there for each other.

Then one hot september evening, a year after graduation, Ryan calls me up from his office in Boston where he works as a programmer for a company that makes video games. I was in Virgina beach working in a crappy bar where the guys were always trying to feel me up. He sounds excited, like he had some big news.

My boss, a big greasy man with a million body piercings and numerous tattoos growled at me. I had a call and I could take it in his office.

'Hello?' I asked, setting my fat bottom on one corner of my boss' cluttered desk.

'Callie? Its Ryan.'

'hey Ryan, how's Boston?' I said feeling instantly cheered.

'Boston is pretty much the same. Listen, I haven't got much time to chat, but I want you to leave that horrible place and come here.'

I felt a jolt of excitement. Would I really be leaving my godforsaken shitty job? God must love me after all.

'Ok, but I haven't got a place to stay. Not to mention the fact that I can't raise the cash to buy a plane ticket.'

'I'll buy you a ticket and you can stay with me'. Ryan answered. 'My parents have decided to retire and move to Miami, so I got the house and there's lots of extra room.'